


Reflections in the Water

by pyromanicofthesea



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Amir is Yami Marik, M/M, Rating subject to change, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:28:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27447148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyromanicofthesea/pseuds/pyromanicofthesea
Summary: It was definitely the pricetag that convinced Ryou to buy the house, and not his private lifestyle surrounding the occult and all its secrets. It was definitely, certainly, without a doubt the pricetag.
Relationships: Bakura Ryou/Mutou Yuugi, Bakura Ryou/Yami Marik, Bakura Ryou/Yami Marik/Mutou Yuugi
Comments: 21
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

Buying a house in the middle of nowhere, with a property history that seemed a little too clean, was a bad idea. Ryou knew this when he purchased the house. The price could not be ignored though. The house was nothing to write home about on the outside, and the inside left much to be desired in terms of decorating, but the house was several hundred thousand dollars cheaper than anything else in the area. The pipes and wiring had been cleared by the city. The asking price was set by the previous owners, who had long moved out by the time Ryou found the place. The house needed some new furniture, some better drapes, and maybe a better choice in flooring besides carpet, but the house begged to be bought. That should have been a red flag. A very large, waving, brightly-colored red flag. Ryou bought the house, and moved in the following Saturday.

It was definitely the pricetag that convinced Ryou to buy the house, and not his private lifestyle surrounding the occult and all its secrets. It was definitely, certainly, without a doubt the pricetag.

Ryou stood in the foyer, surrounded by boxes and furniture, holding a bag of takeout. He only just arrived, and had so much unpacking to do. No one would be here to help him until after the weekend. Ryou bit his lip. Most of it could wait until after the weekend. With Marik's help, he would be able to catch up on any progress he alone would miss out on by skipping today. Especially if Marik brought along that taller friend of his. Ryou could never remember his name, but then again, Ryou wasn't actually sure if anyone had ever mentioned it - including Marik's friend himself.

The house wasn't much, but it was far larger than any of the apartments Ryou lived in before the move. He had already seen it twice before, but having a living room and a kitchen and an entire upstairs still felt huge. Unpacking would not be fun, though Ryou did look forward to decorating all of the living spaces.

He sat on the couch and opened the bag of takeout. The smell of tonkatsu filled the air as Ryou dug in. He had been driving all day, hungry enough that he barely tasted the deep-fried cutlets and rice as he ate. He considered saving leftovers for the morning, knowing he needed to go grocery shopping, but before he knew it, the takeout container had only a few bits of rice left in it. Ryou exhaled a satisfied sigh, and set the container down on the other side of the couch. He could deal with it later. He leaned back, into the couch, enjoying the plush embrace of a seating location that wasn't his car. Ryou only stayed sitting for a moment before he swung his legs out and stood to take an evening shower.

He dug into one of the boxes labeled 'CLOTHES', and pulled out something to sleep in. A box labeled 'BATHROOM' was next, and from it Ryou removed a bottle of shampoo, body wash, conditioner, a brush, spray-on detangler, and a towel. Traveling had taken up most of the day, so a shower, pajamas, and finding out if the television left behind by the previous owners worked sounded like a great way to finish off the evening.

It took Ryou longer than he would have liked to find the bathroom. The house did not seem like it from the outside, but it had a lot of rooms. He had gotten lost, but he had found a laundry chute that he did not notice during the initial tour. The metal of the chute gleamed in the low hallway light, but Ryou couldn't see the end of it, as if the chute just stopped. He guessed it dropped down to the basement, but Ryou didn't know for sure. In the morning, he could go down there and find out, but for tonight, he just wanted to shower and try to watch a movie before going to bed. He felt his exhaustion from the drive in his bones.

Finding the bathroom was a blessing. Four doors down and to the left. Four doors. It was a miracle he found this place for the price.

The bathroom itself wasn't sizeable compared to the rest of the house, holding maybe enough room to put two people between the sink counter and the wall, and three people between the door and the shower. Ryou was fairly certain the downstairs bathroom was the one with the bathtub. Or maybe it was the one connected to the master bedroom. He couldn't remember. The only thing on his mind was washing the grime of the day off his skin.

Ryou turned on the shower, letting the water warm as he undressed. As he pulled his shirt over his head, he considered taking a bath instead. Ryou shook his head. Maybe when all of the unpacking was done, a nice and relaxing bath would be in order. Tonight, he just wanted to wash the grime of travel off of his skin.

The spray of the shower was just warm enough when Ryou stepped beneath it. He let out a sigh as he relaxed. Good water pressure worked at the muscles of his shoulders, and Ryou let his head fall just a bit so the water would hit his neck as well. He did not know if the shower was actually good, or if it had just been the long day, but the beat of the shower felt like the hands of heaven were working away at the tensed and knotted muscles of his neck and shoulders. The actual objective of the shower was momentarily forgotten. Ryou felt comfortably brainless, and wanted to stay like that for the rest of the night.

The free massage of the shower ended once he became used to it. Ryou continued cleaning himself after that. The fragrant suds of the bodywash were smeared from head to toe, and Ryou took his time to enjoy the cleansing feeling. He rarely had the time or energy to enjoy his showers, and tonight he had both as the smell of cucumber and mint filled the air.

He rinsed off his body and lathered his hair with shampoo, letting his fingers massage his scalp as he worked the shampoo in.

The hair conditioner went in the same, after the shampoo was rinsed out. Once the conditioner was thoroughly in Ryou's hair, he ran his hairbrush through it to remove as many tangles as he could while his hair was still slick. The hairbrush caught more often that Ryou would have preferred. He was glad he grabbed the detangler spray as well.

He rinsed out the conditioner once he was satisfied with the brushwork. His hair retained the slick, silky feeling even after he turned off the shower and rung out his hair. Ryou flipped his hair forward, and brushed through it again before he reached over and wrapped it in his towel. He flipped his now-wrapped hair back again, and went to grab a second towel. It wasn't until Ryou saw the empty spot where a second towel would be that he remembered he only grabbed the one. Ryou let out a heavy sigh. Oh well, he would just have to make do. And probably clean up water from the floor afterwards.

Ryou stepped out of the shower, bringing his brush with him. He shook the water off of it as best he could before he placed it on the sink counter. He patted his hair dry from within its wrap. He unraveled the towel once he figured his hair was as dry as it would get inside the towel, and grabbed the bottle of detangler. He sprayed the contents into his hair, section by section. When it seemed like he got everywhere, Ryou got to work gently brushing out his hair. Again he worked in sections. From top to bottom, little by little, Ryou brushed out the rest of the tangles of his long hair. He felt a bit like a prince.

"One hundred strokes a day," Ryou muttered to himself, and then giggled at the absurdity. One hundred was such a perfectly even number. He knew brushing was good for his hair, but one hundred was just too convenient. It made for a funny joke with himself though. As if brushing one's hair one hundred times per day was all it took for shiny, healthy hair.

When his hair was fully taken care of, Ryou toweled the rest of himself dry. He looked himself over in the mirror for a moment, mostly making sure his hair looked well-washed. He considered digging out the leave-in conditioner he had, but decided that would be overkill this time.

With a towel around his waist, Ryou headed back downstairs to retrieve the clothes he had pulled from the boxes. A nice, warm sweater that was perfect for the chilly night, and a pair of sweatpants. He thought he would need his slippers as well, but to his surprise, the floor was not unbearably cold on bare feet. He knew he had the carpet to thank for that, but he could not bring himself to conjure a fond thought towards carpet flooring.

Ryou dressed quickly, pulling the ashen grey sweater over his head and grimmacing when he felt his hair leave damp spots on the back and neck. He glanced over at the television as he put on the sweatpants. He had his doubts about if the television would actually work. He noticed now that a VHS player sat in the entertainment cabinet below the television, and the cabinet shelves were discolored from dust.

Ryou walked over and tried the power button on the television, but the screen remained black. He pressed it again, and frowned when the television did not turn on. Ryou peered around the television to the back, and his shoulders drooped when he saw the television was not plugged into the wall. Of course it didn't turn on. Ryou plugged the television in and tried the power button again. Sure enough, the television powered on to static.

Ryou smiled and walked back to his boxes as the static flickered on the screen. He rummaged through a box laped 'TAPES', and pulled out a faded VHS tape that had been buried in the box. He returned to the back of the television to make sure the VHS player had power before he pressed the tape into the player. The player took in the tape, and Ryou flipped through the video modes until the tape's previews played on the screen.

The opening teaser of Ghost Hunters began with its standard jumpscare sound, announcing what would be investigated on this episode of the show. Ryou hadn't actually seen this episode before. He once taped a marathon of the series, and labeled each individual tape, but he never got around to watching them. There was no time like the present.

Ryou curled up on the couch, and watched as the ghost hunting crew review the interview information for the haunted American establishment. He knew the show was a dramatic reenactment of proper paranormal investigating, but every fiction had some truth within it. Ryou was determined to pick the episode apart and find any useful paranormal information from the show.

"I bet the ghost is going to be a resident of the building," Ryou said to himself, not even five minutes into the episode and already making predictions. It wasn't as if these sort of shows were original. Predictability was to be expected in an entertainment genre.

When the team first encountered the ghost, and Ryou nodded his approval at the confirmation questions the team members were asking.

"Never lead an entity on," he said, despite the characters in the show not being able to hear his coaching. "Always confirm who you're talking to."

The episode went on, and reached a slow point when the team reconvened. Ryou caught himself beginning to nod off. He sat up with a yawn as the ghost hunting team chased a shadow into the stairwell above the stage. He considered heading upstairs and finding the master bedroom, but the thought of getting up was less than stellar at the moment. Ryou ended up falling asleep on the couch before he could think more, static replacing the Ghost Hunters tape when the VHS tape ended and the player auto-ejected it.

The television shut off, seemingly by itself. The power down sound did nothing to stir Ryou from his slumber, so he missed the shadow that loomed in the center of the black reflective screen. The shadow stood there for only a moment before it flickered and disappeared, as if it had never been there to begin with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who :)
> 
> thank you [Jay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayTheAngstKing) for betaing this chapter for me! And thank YOU, reader, for reading <3


	2. Chapter 2

Ryou woke up in the early morning with a stiff neck from sleeping on the couch. He stretched as he stood up, and tilted his head left and right to see if he could work out the tense muscles. None relaxed, and so he decided to let the shower deal with it. Before that, though, something for breakfast was needed.

From the box labeled 'SNACKS', Ryou pulled a couple of protein bars that were glorified candy bars, deciding that would do since he needed to go grocery shopping anyway. He grabbed a change of clothes from the same 'CLOTHES' box the clothes he slept in came from, and headed up to the bathroom, eating one of the protein bars on the way.

Ryou undressed and stepped under the spray of the shower. The water pressure did wonders for his neck, and he found himself once again spending most of his time just standing under the water lost in the moment.

He lathered and rinsed his hair, following a similar routine as the night before, though he skipped the detangler for the morning. He'd use it before retiring later that evening.

He turned the shower off, stepped out, and dried himself. He brushed out his damp hair, towel around his waist even though he lived alone. He threw on the clothes he had grabbed - boxers, relaxed fit jeans, and a pullover - before rehanging his towel and heading back downstairs to grab socks and his shoes.

Ryou had to fumble around inside the 'CLOTHES' boxes for several minutes before he found a pair of socks the same shade of grey as his pullover. With socks on, Ryou grabbed his keys from the living room end table, slipped on his shoes, and headed out. He locked the door behind him, and looked out at the expanse of the yard. There wasn't much to see, as the yard was mostly dying lawn grass and a few scraggly trees on the further edges of the property, but it made Ryou smile. If he was being honest with himself, he liked the yard, and he liked it because it made the house's surroundings feel a small bit like something from a horror film.

"If I drove a minivan and had three kids, I'd complete the trope," Ryou said to himself as he headed down the porch steps and to the driveway. In the driveway sat a four-door sedan. Ryou had bought the car a few years ago. It was nothing special, but the car didn't look like it was one speed bump away from falling apart either.

Ryou got in, pulled out, and hoped he could find his way to the grocery store he had seen on his way to the house. Each road felt the vague level of familiar one gets when driving at night, though Ryou was trying to get to the store in the mid-morning. The turn he took felt right at the time, but the further he went down the road, the less certain he felt. He decided to continue a bit further. The scenery on either side of the road became thick with trees and undergrowth. Ryou was sure now that he was not on the correct road, but something pulled him to continue anyway.

He turned left and slowed down so he could better take in the woodsy scene. He didn't think twice about making more turns, even though common sense said when lost, keep going straight for ease of backtracking. He rolled down the window so the crisp air could blow through. It whipped his hair back, though he was hardly driving very fast. Something about the drive, the cool wind blowing his hair to and fro, the morning sun above the horizon, with no one else around gave Ryou the thrilling sense that he was alive. It was almost as delightful as a quality fright. Ryou knew those well as well. Scares that make one's blood run cold, chilling to the bone. Shocks that stop a heart, or make the heart beat faster with the terror of the unknown or the supernatural. Hairs standing on end as one is reminded they live only because they look a creature of death in the eyes. That terror intoxicated Ryou so easily, and he enjoyed the aesthetic side as well.

Up ahead was a gravel turn-around spot, and just beyond that looked to be an abandoned playground. Ryou pulled into the turn-around and parked the car. He got out, locking the door with the key fob once he shut it, and walked over to the playground the woods tried so hard to reclaim.

"This is so cool," Ryou muttered as he walked around the playground perimeter, wishing he had kept his good camera in the car instead of packing it up. The playground was small, only one slide and one fireman's pole. There wasn't even a ladder, just two steps up to the first platform on either side. There was a lookout window on the top platform, across from the slide, but the whole structure was so vandalized and weathered Ryou doubted one could see much from it. He knew it would be terrifying coming here later, after the sun had gone down. Going alone would be too unsafe though. Maybe if he asked Marik, or that friend of his?

Ryou shook his head, as if disagreeing with himself. Marik hated the dark. His friend then, perhaps. But it would be so rude to invite the friend of a friend and not the mutual friend. Ryou thought for a moment, considering other options he had. He could not go alone, it was too unsafe to make the trip worth it. He could just try more to befriend Marik's friend, but he did not want Marik to feel left out. Marik hated the dark though, so perhaps Marik would not be hurt, especially if Marik's friend was without Marik at the time. Ryou decided the first thing he needed to do was learn the name of Marik's friend. He still could not remember if either of them had ever mentioned the man's name before. He would learn it one way or another.

Ryou nodded to himself, affirming his decision. He would work to be more friendly to Marik's friend, and then he would see if Marik's friend would be interested in exploring the woods and photographing an abandoned playground at night. He would have to leave the playground behind for now, but not before he took a few pictures on his phone. He took one standing in front of the structure, and then another of that side after he squatted down for a different angle. Ryou was not satisfied until he had at least one photo for every angle he could think of, even though he was only using his phone and not his better camera.

Ryou stood up straight after taking the final photograph. He smiled at the new photos in his gallery, and made a mental note to move the files to their own folder later. He turned on the location service on his phone, pinned the playground's location, and searched out the nearest grocery store. He really did want to find his way on his own, but at this rate it would be the mid-afternoon before he even arrived. It did not take long to find the nearest store. Seven miles from his location, but Ryou suspected that was because of how far into the woods he went. He walked back to his car and got in, setting his phone in the cup-holder as he started the engine. Seat belt clicked, emergency break off, gear in drive and he was pulling back onto the road, out of the turn-around and off to gather the necessary supplies for shelf-stocking and premium home-cooked meals.

The grocery store was crowded with shoppers, but that was what Ryou got for arriving around noon on a Sunday. He grabbed a cart and tried his best to remember the mental list he prepared.

"I need to start writing the list," Ryou muttered, just quiet enough that he was only heard by himself, as he wandered through the breads and grains aisle. He looked at the different breads on the shelves, and grabbed one that looked familiar. He thought for a moment before deciding to put the loaf in the cart. Bread for sandwiches was always nice. If he was going to make sandwiches, though, he'd need more than bread.

Ryou looked at the bread in the cart. Was this actually the bread he wanted for sandwiches? It would work for now. He could get better breads at the bakery, once he found one that looked to know its way around dough. Sandwiches still needed more than bread, so Ryou pushed the cart through the aisle and made his way towards the meats and cheeses. What would go best in a sandwich? Ryou looked at the section of cold-cuts for nearly an entire minute before he realized he didn't have a strong preference towards any of the meats. He decided to grab a container of sliced turkey, but changed his mind and put it back on the shelf. He could get fresher turkey from a deli shop.

Ryou shook his head at himself, though more discretely since he was in public and not in the woods. He couldn't help but be a little choosy now that he had the money and time to be. He put a packet of presliced smoked ham in the cart and made a mental note to get roast beef once he found a local deli. If there was a local deli. The cheese was a little easier to decide on, getting a block of swiss and a block of pepper jack and putting them in the cart. Condiments were easy, vegetables were easy and Ryou grabbed some non-sandwich-related vegetables for soups and stirfry. Stirfry needed noodles and sauce, and so Ryou went after those next. His shopping path crossed itself multiple times, and he was definitely just wandering around with his cart trying to think at one point, but he never shopped efficiently when he had nothing else to do. After shopping would be putting away the groceries and making lunch.

Ryou's stomach growled at the thought of lunch. A couple protein bars were hardly a breakfast, and he was surrounded by food. He looked at the cart, and decided it had enough in it for the next few days at least. He was certain Marik would want to eat out after helping him unpack, if it was still light enough, so that covered food for part of that day as well.

He made his way over to the check-out line, but decided to keep pushing the cart over to the flower displays. He looked at the different arrangements, bouquets, and lone roses for a moment before deciding on a small, mixed bundle to put in the kitchen of the new home. Now Ryou felt he had everything he needed, and pushed the cart into the check-out line.

Loading the groceries into the car didn't take him very long, and he was glad he didn't have to walk back to his home or wait for a bus. The flowers were lain on the passenger seat instead of crammed back with the groceries in the back seat and trunk. Ryou drove with directions pulled up on his phone, hungry enough now that he didn't want any detours for the remainder of the drive.

The drive back was nice. His phone guided him along a main road, but it spilled into a tree-rich area only a few miles away from the grocery store. He found it beautiful, and it only assured him that moving out here was the right decision. He was far enough away to feel like he was all alone, but close enough to civilization to always have something to do if he grew bored indoors.

Pulling into the driveway, Ryou let go of a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. The weight of living alone didn't weigh on him so much in his previous place, but this house was much larger than his last apartment, and coming home to it reminded him he was still alone, regardless of his physical proximity to his friends. There was not enough around him to fill the empty space of the house.

He thought about calling someone to fill the space, but he still had groceries to unload and put away. By some miracle, his phone range only once he had gotten all the groceries to the kitchen.

"Hello?" Ryou answered, not having checked the incoming call name before answering. A videocall screen opened up, and a moment later, Marik's smiling face appeared on the screen.

"Ryou!" Marik said with cheer. "How's the new place? We're still good for tomorrow, right?"

"Marik!" Ryou replied with equal enthusiasm. "Yeah, we're still good for tomorrow. The house is great! I still can't believe it was so cheap. Someone must have died here."

"You sound hopeful," Marik laughed. Ryou gave a bashful sigh. Maybe he was a little hopeful. Maybe the price wasn't what actually sold him on the house.

"Who're you talking to?" a voice from off-screen asked, barely coming through. Marik turned to look at whoever spoke.

"You remember Ryou Bakura, right?" Marik asked, and another tan face appeared, pushing Marik to the other side of the screen, nearly out of camera view.

"Oh yeah. You're the guy with the pentagram rug, right?" It was Marik's friend, who he _still_ didn't catch the name of.

"It's a pentacle, but yes, that would be me," Ryou said with a patient smile. Marik's friend nodded, and grinned a wide grin with teeth. The look in his eyes coupled with that grin sent chills down Ryou's back.

"I'm looking forward to finding your home tomorrow," he said, and he looked like he was going to say more before Marik pushed him out of frame.

"Go be creepy somewhere else!" he said, and Marik's friend just laughed. His laugh sounded more like a cackle, similar to a villain's laugh or a witch's howl from old cartoons.

"I thought Ryou liked creepy!" Marik's friend snapped back, his voice still light with mirth.

"Not like that!" Marik said, at the same time Ryou said "I do a little". Marik gave Ryou a look to tell him he wasn't helping, and Ryou gave his best innocent angel smile in return. All three of the men were still for a moment before they all started to laugh.

"Anyway," Marik said, making a halfhearted attempt to redirect the conversation despite his own lingering laughter. "Is seven too early for you, Ryou? Oh, that's a yes." The look on Ryou's face said it all. Marik tried again. "Eigh- ni- ten?" Ryou's face went from the previous grimace to a nodding smile. "We'll see you at ten then." Ryou could sense the end of the call, but he was not ready to face the large home alone just yet.

"I was about to put away groceries when you called. Would you like to keep me company?" he asked, hoping Marik wasn't busy. Marik bit his lip, and Ryou knew he was. Marik was about to say something - likely decline - when his friend pushed his way into the camera view again.

"If Marik can't, I'm not doing anything," Marik's friend said, to which Marik glared. Marik tried to push his friend off the screen again.

"I'm not leaving you alone with my phone!"

"Then give me Ryou's number and you won't have to!"

"No, that's not my number to give!" Marik snapped back, trying and failing to shove his friend away.

"I don't mind if you give him my number, Marik," Ryou said, smiling in amusement at their antics. They were friends, but they bickered like siblings.

"Are you sure?" Marik asked, and his friend gasped in a theatrical display of offense. Marik rolled his eyes, but he smiled when Ryou nodded his affirmation. "I forget how friendly you are, Ryou. I have to go now, but I'll share your number." They said their goodbyes, and the call ended. Ryou pulled the unplugged toaster closer to the edge of the kitchen counter, and propped his phone up just in time to catch an incoming call from an unsaved number. He answered the call and was greeted by the grinning face of Marik's friend. It was only as Ryou said his hellos that he realized he still didn't know the man's name. Would it be too awkward to ask?

"It looks like you've got quite the kitchen," Marik's friend said before Ryou had the chance to think further.

"I only got here last night so I haven't used it yet," Ryou said with a smile. He started putting away the groceries that belonged in the fridge. Meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, orange juice, eggs, all neatly organized in the fridge. He knew it wasn't going to say so organized, but he could enjoy it while it lasted.

"You cook much?" Marik's friend asked, though he looked almost sheepish when Ryou turned to reply. It surprised Ryou. Did Marik's friend worry about asking something too personal?

"Cook would be a very generous description," Ryou replied, "but I do enjoy it." An electronic noise chimed from the background of the call. "What's that?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm playing a game. I was before Marik called you," Marik's friend explained. He glanced at the camera for a moment. "I can turn it off if-"

"Oh! Could you stream it?" Marik's friend had Ryou's full attention, a bag of rice forgotten in his hands. Marik's friend looked at him for a moment before nodding. The shared screen loaded on Ryou's phone a moment later, with a smaller portrait of the video call feed displayed in the upper corner. The game's audio came through much cleaner now. Ryou could hear the hiss of roaches on the floor of the stone basement Marik's friend explored. "Is that Amnesia?"

"Yeah, I'm replaying it. It's been a while," Marik's friend said, giving a glance to the camera to acknowledge Ryou's question. He watched Marik's friend collect tinderboxes from the desk drawers for a bit, and then the bag of rice started getting heavy. Ryou lifted it onto the counter and pushed it back, up against the side of the fridge.

He continued to put away the groceries, listen to Marik's friend huff as Daniel's sanity continued to fail. Bread on the counter, pasta and ramen noodles in the cupboard, back to the fridge when he realized he left lettuce in the bag.

"Hey so, are there any other horror games you play?" Marik's friend asked after a period of quiet, while in the game he went from room to room checking drawers and cabinets.

"A few," Ryou replied. In the same thought, he realized he might as well start unpacking the kitchen supplies once the groceries were away. "It's mostly a freetime thing. I run Monster World campaigns more often." Marik's friend glanced at the camera at that, looking at Ryou for a good moment before the game distorted and he had to return his attention to Daniel's decaying sanity.

"I hardly know you, but Marik keeps telling me to be more social, so, if you ever need a player," Marik's friend said, and the odd shyness in his voice made Ryou smile. He still didn't know the name of Marik's friend though, and if he continued on like this, it would be even more awkward to ask. He needed to bite the bullet, and Ryou knew this, but it just felt so rude to admit you didn't know the name of someone you have met multiple times.

"That would be great," Ryou said, but his voice trailed off, and Marik's friend did not take the open ending well.

"If it is an inconvenience, then-"

"No no, it's not that!" Ryou met the eyes of Marik's friend, and looked away, a sense of shame threatening to drown him. He bit his lip. He had to say something. "It's just that, well, I know this sounds bad, but, I've misplaced your name." He dared a glance at the screen, only for his ears to be assaulted by the howling laugh of Marik's friend.

"I never told you it," Marik's friend said once he finally calmed down enough to speak clearly. "You should see the look on your face. It's Amir, but I never thought my name would set up something so comical!"

"Well I'm glad you're amused," Ryou said with a small pout. Amir clicked his tongue, or at least that's what it looked like he did. The sound didn't actually carry over the mic and speaker well. Ryou shook his head, but he couldn't help the small smile that pulled at his lips. "It's nice to finally know your name, Amir." Amir grinned his all-teeth grin, and turned back to his game.

"Seriously though, you have my number now, so call me if you need an extra player or something," he said, but the game was starting to get interesting, so Ryou only nodded his affirmation. He watched the screen for a bit, until he remembered he bought ice cream and it was surely half melted by now.

Ryou scrambled for the bag that the ice cream sat in, and all but yanked the freezer door open to put it away. He hoped refreezing the ice cream after sitting out for so long didn't ruin the flavor.

He returned to his bags and put away the last of the groceries, including the basic ingredients he would need for baking. He didn't have much time to bake before, but now he had all the time in the world. Not really, but he had significantly more time than before.

Now that the groceries were put away, a late lunch needed to be made. Ryou glanced at his phone.

"Hey Amir, do you mind if I make lunch?"

"While in call? I don't care," Amir said. "If it's any good, you better make extra for tomorrow though."

"Well, actually I was thinking about taking you and Marik out to eat," Ryou said with some hesitation. If Amir and Marik would prefer something homecooked, he wasn't going to deny a simple request from his guests.

"I stand by what I said," Amir replied. He glanced at Ryou for a moment to show he was invested in the conversation. "Both, if you would." Ryou made a show of bowing to Amir's request, and then retrieved the box with the utensils he would need to cook vegetable yakisoba. The box was a bit heavy, but it contained many mixing bowls, smaller-sized trays, and one of the two strainers Ryou owned. He left it on the floor, pulling out only the things he needed. Ryou moved some things around inside the box before huffing, realizing the actual cooking utensils were in a different box.

"Wow, you weren't joking when you said you didn't unpack," Amir said when Ryou returned with the box of utensils. Ryou set the box on the counter and gave Amir a look of irritation. He wore his standard patient smile when he spoke.

"I did say I only got here yesterday evening."

Ryou pulled the whisk and tongs from inside the box, and got to work making the sauce. He eyeballed the measurements of sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, oyster sauce, and Worcestershire sauce into a standard one liter measuring cup before gently whisking them together. He set that aside and pulled one of the three-serving packages of soba noodles from the cabinet. Looking back, he sort of knew this was what he wanted to make, so he should have left the ingredients out. There was no changing that now.

Ryou tore open the bag and then the individual serving packages. He put all three into the hand-held strainer. Leftovers would be good whether Amir had been serious or not. Ryou turned to put the empty packaging in the trash, but realized he didn't remember where the trash bin had been. He left the packaging on the counter, away from the cooking area, and walked the noodles over to the sink for washing and better picking-apart.

Ryou left the better-hydrated noodles in the strainer in the sink for the moment, returning to the cooking area to cut the vegetables. Cabbage, green onion, carrot, onion, and mushroom all sliced into strips and then set to the side so Ryou could grease the sheet pan with oil.

He lit the stove, moved the sheet pan to sit above the flame, and went to cooking. Onions went onto the pan first, sizzling in the heated oil. Then the carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, and green onions. Ryou mixed them around the pan, and added the noodles in once the vegetables were almost done cooking. He mixed them around again, and then turned down the heat so they could sit for a moment without burning. He brought over the sauce and poured it onto the mix, gently mixing the sauce in as the yakisoba sizzled on the stove top. When everything was finished cooking, Ryou turned off the stove and fetched the box that held the plates, glasses, and other silverwares.

He piled yakisoba onto his plate and then checked his phone to see where Amir was in the game.

"Wow, you've gotten far," Ryou said before he took a bite. Amir glanced over, noticed the food, and paused the game.

"That looks good, I'm tempted to drive out there now instead of waiting," he said, and he really did look like he was considering it.

"I added too much sugar, but that is my fault for not measuring," Ryou said with a shake of his head. It did not taste bad, the sauce was just sweeter than he preferred. At least, a bit too sweet for a sauce. Amir laughed, but he didn't say anything else. He returned to his game, and Ryou watched with much more attention now.

Amir appeared to be traversing a basement dwelling, or a celler, judging by what little Ryou could see on the dark screen. Walls of stone with wooden support beams and a wooden floor comprised the area Amir walked through. Wooden crates and barrels were scattered around the room. He whipped out his lantern and went through a door, into a passageway with unlit torches mounted on the walls.

"Have you repaired the elevator yet?" Ryou asked, to which Amir shook his head.

"No, I have to get ready for work soon, so I don't want to start any major fetch quests."

"It is a bit of a glorified fetch quest, isn't it," Ryou laughed, and Amir huffed out a small laugh of his own. The two sat in silence as Ryou ate dinner and Amir traversed the basement, investigating the large hole in the ceiling only to make his way up to the main foyer of the mansion.

Ryou enjoyed listening to Amir play, screaming at the main character and swearing when the shock of the experimentation room got them both. Amir collected tinderboxes and a crowbar in one of the rooms, only to use it on a stuck door a moment later. He hid when the monster limped in, and risked Daniel's sanity to show the game monster to Ryou just because he thought he'd like it.

Amir had to leave for work not long after avoiding the monster, which left Ryou alone for the rest of the night. He considered watching another episode of Ghost Hunter, but his phone and the sky both agreed it would be better to turn in for the evening. After all, ten in the morning was still a bit earlier than Ryou would have liked, but he knew Marik didn't like being out past dark.

Ryou pulled pajamas from the 'CLOTHES' box and headed upstairs. He wandered the halls until he found the master bedroom. He changed into his pajamas, and made his way to the bathroom, leaving his clothes from that day on the floor. They could be dealt with later.

His toothpaste was minty enough that his eyes watered from the irritation, but he brushed until his teeth felt clean. He brushed detangler through his hair. He set an alarm on his phone for nine so he could have breakfast prepared by the time Marik and Amir showed up in the morning. Out of habit from when photography was a hobby, he scrolled through the pictures of the abandoned playground he had taken earlier that day. Anticipation gave him a thrill as he thought about returning to this woods after dark sometime.

Ryou shook his head and set his phone down on the nightstand. He turned out the light, and fell asleep far sooner than he ever had before. Despite the darkness of the room, a shadow loomed over the reflective screen of Ryou's phone. Eyes that glowed a layered mix of crimson and violet pierced the looming shadow. It reached out, as if to touch the phone, and the screen lit up, as if touched. The shadow lingered a moment longer, and then was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you [Kevlar01](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kevlar01) for betaing this!
> 
> This began as just something to write to keep me occupied during power outages but now this has a plot. I have PLANS for this this. Mwahahaha!
> 
> Thank you for reading <3


	3. Chapter 3

The scent of fresh eggs and waffles filled the kitchen as Ryou prepared a large breakfast. He had awoken to the morning sunlight peeking through his bedroom curtains, in a good mood from the slow and easy wake up.

A knock at the door caused Ryou to startle slightly. He abandoned breakfast for the moment, knowing nothing would burn if he took twenty seconds to answer the door. He could have sworn he had an hour before Marik and Amir would be there.

Ryou opened the door to be greeted by the bright sunshine of the morning and Marik and Amir on his doorstep. Marik wore the lavender crop hoodie Ryou always attributed to him, kohl under his eyes, paired with black cargo pants. Amir looked a bit more like someone ready to move boxes in his black tank top and jeans. The kohl he wore mirrored Marik's almost exactly.

"Sorry about being late," Marik said as he rubbed his neck.

"Late?" One incredulous Ryou patted for his phone to check the time. "I only got up fifteen minutes ago, there's no way it's ten."

"It's half past ten." Marik tried and failed to hold back a laugh. "I forget you're not an early riser."

"No matter, breakfast is almost ready," Ryou said with an embarrassed smile. "Please come in." Ryou stepped to the side so Marik and Amir could walk in, shutting the door as they stepped inside and took off their shoes. He led the two through the kitchen to the dining room.

"You really left all the unpacking to us, huh," Marik muttered as he sat down at the dining room table.

"I was tired!" Ryou shot back rather indignantly. He gave Marik a good-natured glare as Amir sat beside Marik.

"I was promised free meals in exchange for services rendered, partial payment up front," Amir said, resting his chin on his palms, elbows on the table. "And I won't start working until partial payment is received."

Ryou watched as a smug grin grew across Amir's face, Marik stifling a laugh as the silence after Amir's pseudo-ultimatum continued. "Well, if you're going to twist my arm about it," Ryou said as he stepped away and headed back into the kitchen.

He listened but didn't listen to Amir and Marik talk, letting the sound of their conversation become the background music as he finished breakfast. He piled dairy-free waffles onto a plate as they finished cooking, adding scrambled eggs to a second plate so everyone could just take what they wanted.

"One partial payment for requested services," Ryou said as he brought over the plates of food. He went back to the kitchen to bring plates.

"And stuff to doctor up these bad boys!" Amir called after him. An _oof!_ could be heard just afterwards, presumably Marik elbowing Amir for being rude.

Ryou couldn't help the smile on his face as he gathered syrup and what berries he had bought. Having Marik and Amir over made him want to throw a housewarming party, or at least host a Monster World campaign like he used to. He didn't know if any of his friends back in Domino would make the trip out to his new place though. It was an easy drive for Marik and Amir as far as Ryou knew, but Domino was a long drive. Even longer on a train. It couldn't hurt to ask, but it could wait until he was unpacked either way.

"One partial payment upfront, and the works," Ryou said as he set down every else he grabbed from the kitchen. Plates were passed around, filled and stacked with food, and dug into with ravenous enjoyment.

"This is amazing," Amir moaned out between mouthfuls of waffle drenched in syrup and berries.

"He's not wrong, you always cook so well," Marik agreed, though he spoke with far better table manners than Amir did.

Ryou blushed under the compliments, shyness creeping up like vines in his chest. "It's really nothing," he said as he forked over another waffle to add to the syrup-covered mess on his plate.

"I'd work for you for the rest of my life if this is how I'm paid," Amir said, causing Ryou's blush to grow bright red. Amir's heart stuttered for only a moment, but the memory of the feeling lingered.

"Hey, which room is the guest bedroom and which is the master bedroom?" Amir called down from the top of the stairs.

"Master bedroom is upstairs!" Ryou shouted from the office below the stairs. He and Marik gave each other a look, and then went back to setting down the heavy box they supported.

"What's in that box, anyway?" Marik asked as he stood up straight and cracked his back.

"My desk," Ryou replied as he headed for the door. "I'll have to reassemble it, but it seemed like a good idea to take it with me." Marik followed him out, and they repeated the process with another large, obnoxiously-sized box.

Amir carried two boxes labelled MASTER BEDROOM in his arms as he wandered the hall looking for the right bedroom. Every bedroom looked nice, if a little plain.

"Where is it? Where is it?" he muttered under his breath as he moved on to the next room. Opening a door, he found himself in the upstairs bathroom. He frowned as he shut the door. That definitely wasn't the master bedroom.

Down the hall, a dark shadow flickered across the reflective surface of the doorknob two doors down from the bathroom. The shadow went unnoticed when Amir turned the knob. The door opened to reveal a room with its own bathroom attached at the side and rumpled covers on the bed.

"Bingo," Amir said to himself as he brought the boxes in. He was unaware of the shadow that flicked from the bedroom doorknob to the closet doorknob as he set the boxes on the floor. He headed out, leaving the bedroom door open. The shadow moved, stretching out from the closet doorknob to the floor, and shut the bedroom door without a sound.

Amir headed back down the stairs to retrieve more boxes. He reached for one labeled MONSTER WORLD, but paused once he read the label.

"Hey Ryou!" Amir called out, hoping Ryou was still downstairs. Sure enough, Ryou's head peered around the corner that led to the guest bedroom.

"Yes?"

"Where does your Monster World stuff go?"

"Oh, we can just put it in the master bedroom for now," Ryou said as he walked over. "Here, I can get the other box." Ryou picked up one of the boxes with the same label and walked up to the master bedroom with Amir.

The two walked down the hall in comfortable silence. Ryou turned the knob of the master bedroom, set the box down beside the bed, and stepped aside so Amir could place his box beside the first one. Amir frowned at the door.

"I could have sworn I left that door open," he muttered.

"Don't tease like that, you'll make me think I bought a haunted house," Ryou scolded with a glare.

Amir snorted and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Don't look at me like that. From what Marik's told me, you'd love to live in a haunted house."

"Yep!" Ryou said with a nod and the grin that made Amir interested in the man in the first place. "I'd love to live with ghosts! And I'm sure we'd get along great."

"You'd have to find ghosts who like Monster World," Amir teased as he and Ryou made their way out the door.

"Or video games!" Ryou shut the door behind him before he added, "gamers come in many different forms, you know."

Behind the door, the shadow that had closed the bedroom door the first time crept up from the floor. It was shorter than the average man, but not horribly so. Its form was an inky darkness, dripping like murky water. On the face of its void self were two, crimson-violet eyes, wide and bright and determined. It melted back into the floor and back into nothingness in the blink of an eye.

"Alright, I think that's everything to move," Ryou said as he set down the last box on the kitchen counter. The foyer was empty, all the boxes in their designated rooms. All that was left was to unpack, but that was a ritual Ryou wanted to do alone. He enjoyed the realigning feeling of decorating a room. Moving all the boxes was the difficult part. Unpacking was the fun.

"That didn't take too long," Marik said as he dusted off his hands for the third time.

"Much faster than loading up the moving van," Ryou agreed. He glanced at the time, and worried that it would be too late in the afternoon. No way to find out until he asked. He cleared his throat from nervousness. "How would going out to eat sound? There are a few nearby restaurants I saw that looked good while I was shopping yesterday."

"I'm not sure," Marik said, glancing at the time. "It is a little late for me."

"I don't mean to insist, but you are welcomed to stay the night. You can see there's plenty of room now."

"I wouldn't mind staying the night. It could be like when we were in college," Marik agreed with a smile, though Ryou shooed his comparison away.

"No, nothing like college! I'm never doing anything like I did in college!"

Amir looked between the two in confusion. He turned his eyes to Marik, begging for an explanation with the best puppy-eyes he could.

"Ryou didn't sleep much from all the gaming he did," Marik explained, only for Ryou to interrupt with an embarrassed sigh.

"It wasn't the gaming, I just got through all my semesters on witchcraft and energy drinks."

"He says it in such a defeated voice, but he still practices spells, and still knocks back at least one can on game nights," Marik told Amir as if Ryou was not there.

Ryou shot Marik a look, but didn't say anything about the matter. Instead, he grabbed his jacket and keys, and faced his friends with a cheerful smile. "On that note, let's eat!" he said before slipping on his shoes and heading out the door.

The door shut once Marik and Amir were also ready and out, leaving the house and its shadows still and restless and alone.

The trio left the restaurant with full bellies and high spirits, far later in the evening than anyone intended. The moon hung high in the sky, casting its gentle glow onto the nearly empty parking lot. Ryou recounted a recent campaign as they walked to his car.

"So after confronting the firemage coalition, one of the party members decided 'hey, let's rob them!'."

"Oh no," Marik said behind a knowing smile.

"Oh no indeed," Ryou said with a grin. Everyone piled into the car, eager for Ryou to continue his harrowing tale. Ryou started the engine and headed down the road, GPS sitting in the cupholder to guide him back home.

"So! Where was I? Oh yeah, robbing the firemage coalition," Ryou said a few minutes into the drive. "So one of the party members decides to try and rob the firemage coalition, but he fumbles his rolls so badly he ends up springing a trap. It would have been fine, but he tried to do a high level acrobatics maneuver as a barbarian. One critical failure later, his character is stumbling into a shelf, knocking down instant fire potions."

"Did he catch on fire?" Amir asked from the back seat.

"No, he caught the entire room on fire," Ryou replied, to which Amir and Marik both winced. "The room caught fire and he decided to try and jump out a window to leave. He critically failed _again_. His missed the jump, slammed into the window frame, and fell out from momentum."

Amir's howling cackle paired with Marik's outburst as they both laughed over the slapstick style humor Ryou's campaign provided. Marik braced himself with a hand on the center console so he wouldn't completely double over.

"I'm glad my dice have never been that cruel to me," Marik said once he recollected himself. "I've had some bad fumbles, but never something so humiliating."

"You sound like a cruel Game Master," Amir said between snorts of laughter, not nearly as quick as Marik to compose himself.

"I wouldn't say cruel," Ryou defended. "I just challenge my players to bring their best strategies to the table!"

The rest of the drive was much of the same, Marik sharing similar stories and Amir chiming in when Marik left something out. Ryou found the drive to be enjoyable regularly, but with Marik and Amir there to share it with him, the drive only became better.

When they arrived at the house, Ryou turned on the inner lights and showed Amir and Marik to their rooms. Really, he let them choose, since all the rooms had bedding and only the master bedroom had been claimed by him. Marik took the upstairs room across from the master bedroom. It was no surprise to anyone, since that room looked out at the sunrise the best. Amir took the downstairs guest room, with Ryou's permission to use his laptop for light gaming, so he didn't keep anyone awake with his odd-hour sleeping habits.

Ryou was exhausted from the day, but in a pleasant way that made his bones weary and his heart warm. He prepared for bed mostly on autopilot, dressing in pajamas, brushing his teeth, and turning the morning's alarm off on his phone without much thought. He climbed into bed and let out a content sigh. He felt his body relax into the pillows and mattress, sinking in under the calming weight of the heavy duvet. Sleep came easy for him. Even the shadows of his room seemed still, quiet, and restful.

That, or there were no living shadows at all. The downstairs guest room told a different story.

Amir sat on the bed with Ryou's laptop resting on his crossed legs, hunched over the keyboard and eyes glued on the screen. He was oblivious to the looming shadows taking form at the side of his bed. He did not see the way crimson-violet eyes watched the screen with the same enraptured gaze that he did.

A level completed screen popped up, and Amir leaned back into the propped up pillows. He did not notice as the shadow moved back as will, mirroring his actions and only standing as far as the sight-line of his peripheral vision. Amir sight, stretched his back, and went back into the game. The shadow followed, and the process repeated itself until Amir closed the laptop for the night, set it on the night stand, and went to bed. The shadow watched Amir for a moment in the dark of the room before vanishing itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unbetaed so, sorry for any gruelling mistakes. I wanted to get this chapter out here so the real fun can begin >:)
> 
> Thanks for reading!!
> 
> edit 1/15/21: I've been thinking about this for a while and I've decided to change Yami Marik's name from Kek to Amir. The meaning behind "Amir" represents Yami Marik's relationship with himself, and with Marik, a lot better than "Kek" in this. Subtle change that probably doesn't even need an edit note, but I feel like the distinction is important for myself if nothing else.


	4. Chapter 4

The screams pierced the air in the early hour of the morning, hitting Ryou like a freight train and ripping him from his deep slumber. He launched himself out of bed before he was entirely aware of his awakened state, clamouring to the bathroom across the hall without any idea of what he may face but ready to face anything regardless.

Marik was pressed up against the wall in fright, wide eyes and unmoving as they stared at the mirror in horror. He didn't seem to notice Ryou come in until Ryou shook his shoulder.

"Marik! Marik, what's wrong?" Ryou asked as he shook him gently, trying to rouse him from his terror. "What happened?"

"In the mirror," Marik said, not daring to look away. "There was a face in the mirror. It wasn't mine!"

"There was a-" Ryou's voice trailed off as he turned to look at the mirror in question. It was an antique style mirror, from who knows how long ago. It looked truly ancient. It looked ancient and worn and a tad bit like it needed repairs, but it didn't look cursed, and the only faces it held were Ryou's and Marik's. "In this mirror?"

"Yes, yes in that mirror!"

"Well, alright. It seems to be fine now, but I can take it down until I cleanse the house just in case," Ryou said. He met Marik's eyes in the mirror. "Will you help me take it down?"

"Hell no, I'm not touching that thing!"

"Then will you go wake Amir up to help?" Ryou did his best to keep his mild annoyance hidden, but he was by no means a morning person and he had no time to build up a facade of patience so early. "It's wide. Moving it alone could lead to it falling."

"Right, yeah, I can get Amir," Marik said, and he left the bathroom in a hurry. Ryou suspected Marik would have taken any excuse to leave the potentially haunted bathroom.

He took the time to examine the mirror in question more closely. It was definitely old, not painted up to look old. The wide frame was a tarnished gold color, and Ryou suspected it to be a solid giltwood frame. It looked heavy enough to be. The frame had carved leaves and floral patterns on its surface. He couldn't place it entirely, but Ryou had a suspicion the inspiration for the carving pattern was baroque.

Despite its visible age, the mirror reflected his face back in a crystal clear image on the tall pane of glass. He couldn't help but notice how tired he looked. Not that it was a surprise, considering he looked about as tired as he felt, but it was still a bit jarring to see the shadows of his eyes so clearly. Even as he looked into his own eyes, nothing about the mirror felt odd or out of place. He didn't want to say anything to Marik, but it really did look like a regular mirror. Looks can be deceiving, however, and Ryou wasn't one to take chances with the supernatural.

Amir's heavy steps echoed through the hallway as he headed up the stairs, and Ryou waved him over, peering around the corner of the doorway.

"Let's bring the mirror into one of the empty rooms," Ryou said before Amir could say anything. "I'll cover it with a sheet and call it good for now." Amir nodded and took to one side as Ryou leaned over the counter to take the other. He counted down, and after one the two men unhooked the mirror from its spot on the wall. Ryou grunted from the weight of the mirror, knowing it would be heavy but still not expecting that much weight. He supported the mirror with one hand at the bottom and one hand on the back, Amir holding it a bit lower to take more of the mirror's weight.

The two carried the mirror down the hall, to the spare bedroom by the stairwell. They set the mirror down, propping it up against the wall. Ryou went into his own bedroom to grab a sheet to cover the mirror with, leaving Amir with the mirror.

Amir watched the mirror with a sharp glare. He wasn't sure if he believed it to be haunted, but it frightened Marik and that wouldn't stand. He wanted to smash the mirror's glass into pieces and break its frame. It was an impulse he had yet to break since he first met Marik. They had been through so much together that Amir couldn't help being overprotective of his closest friend, even if it led to fights. It had led to more fights than he could count, especially in the beginning. He hadn't been the most stable then. Marik kept giving him chances though, and every time he told himself he wouldn't waste them. Every time he swore he'd be better. Sometimes he succeeded and sometimes he had apologizing to do, but he promised himself he'd never let anyone hurt Marik after he left home and in order to keep that promise he had to improve himself, too.

So he didn't break the mirror, even though he wanted to.

Ryou came in carrying a light blue sheet to find Amir leaning against the wall, glaring daggers at the mirror. Ryou covered the mirror without a word. It didn't go unnoticed that Amir only moved once the mirror was fully covered.

"How does breakfast sound, since we're all awake?" Ryou offered, to which Amir nodded. He and Amir headed downstairs to find Marik.

Marik was sitting at the dining table, nursing a cup of tea. A strong blend of lemongrass and pomegranate filled the entire dining room, with hints of its fragrance still in the kitchen where it had been brewed.

Marik looked up when he heard Ryou and Amir walk in. He watched as Amir pulled up a chair and Ryou headed into the kitchen. "I figured you two would go back to bed." 

"I'm wide awake after hearing you scream," Ryou admitted as he turned on the stove and set his kettle on the flame.

"Ryou offered breakfast," Amir said and Marik knew then why Amir hadn't gone back to sleep.

"That's very kind of you, Ryou, but I wouldn't want to trouble you."

"Marik, you are my guest,” Ryou said as he gave him a pointed look. "Now, besides tea, what sounds good to you?"

Marik was quiet for a moment. If he said nothing, would Ryou let him get away with it, or would Ryou continue to insist on playing a gracious host? He really didn't think moving boxes quantified so much, especially considering Ryou already fed him and Amir twice and the drive home was not too long.

"Ta'ameya," Amir very loudly whispered, obviously not actually wanting only Marik to hear him. "Ask for ta'ameya."

"I could make ta'ameya with chickpeas," Ryou said as if he was talking to himself, mulling over the idea as if he came up with it. "I don't have flatbread though."

"We could go buy flatbread," Amir not-whispered.

"Point taken, you want ta'ameya," Marik said with a laugh. The jingle of Ryou's car keys filled the air.

"We could go out again," Ryou offered. "My treat."

"No, absolutely not," Marik said as he stood and pointed an accusatory finger at Ryou. "You are too kind for your own good, Ryou. Let's put the leftover waffles in the toaster."

Leftover waffles in the toaster resulted in another syrupy mess after Amir insisted on having 'the works' yet again. Ryou didn't seem to mind it though, considering his own stack looked to be more whipped cream than waffle. Plates were emptied, refilled, and then emptied again until only one waffle remained.

"Host gets the last one," Marik said with a pointed glare towards Amir, who froze mid-reach under the call-out.

"Oh, it's really alright," Ryou insisted. "I rather my guests enjoy it."

"That sounds good to me!" Amir said as he pulled the last waffle onto his plate.

"Guests, plural!" Marik barked as he made a dive with his fork. "Share!" 

Amir blocked Marik's fork with his own, a clang ringing in the air as tension began to rise. Another clang as the next stab was blocked. And another as the two men fought over the last waffle. Shoulders bumped and shoved as Marik tried to tear off some of the waffle and Amir tried to keep it for himself.

Ryou let their little waffle war continue for a few minutes out of sheer amusement before he reached in and pulled the plate away. The two forks stilled as Marik and Amir looked over at Ryou. "If you're going to fight, I'll eat the waffle myself even though I don't want it," Ryou threatened. Both Marik and Amir looked away. Ryou pushed the plate back in front of them. "Split the waffle."

The waffle was split.

\---

The house was an empty sort of silent after Marik and Amir went home. Simply because the task of unpacking felt too large for him alone, Ryou sat and listened to Marik's motorcycle purr until he was too far down the road to hear it any longer. He knew unpacking from a move was a process that took days to weeks, depending, but it still felt like a daunting task regardless of past knowledge. There were so many boxes and so many rooms. He didn't know which was worse, the number of rooms or knowing how empty some would feel since he never had this many rooms to fill before. Some things he needed for the day, clothes especially, and so he headed up the stairs to his bedroom to get started. It seems like as good of a place as any to begin.

He pulled the top items of one of several clothing boxes out and laid them on the bed. A striped shirt, a sweater, sleeping shorts, and a button-up. None of them sounded very appealing, so Ryou put them in the dresser's drawers and tried again. This process repeated, over and over, until Ryou pulled out an off-the-shoulder long-sleeved shirt. It was black with white stripes and good enough for a day of unpacking, so he pulled off the shirt he slept in and replaced it with the soft long-sleeve.

Shadows moved beneath Ryou's feet as he dug through his box looking for pants. The shadows sunk under the bed as he straightened up, crimson-violet eyes watching him as he mulled over the pants he held. The pants were put in a drawer and Ryou returned to the box. The shadow watched this process repeat twice until Ryou settled for loose-fitting jeans. The eyes disappeared as Ryou shed his pants, respecting the man's privacy in his own home.

Once dressed, Ryou continued unpacking his clothing, placing each article type in a drawer. At least, he managed to stay organized until he started running out of room, and then he just put the clothing pieces where they would fit. He grabbed the now-empty box. A shadow oozed out from under the bed, taking form first as a top-spiked mass and then as a young man with spiked and colored hair. Ryou turned to put the empty box in the hall only to come face to face with semi-translucent, crimson-violet eyes. To his credit, Ryou did not scream. He only gripped the cardboard box so tightly in his fright that the corners crumpled and bent inward.

"H-hello there," Ryou stammered out. He watched the apparition with eyes wide from both caution and fascination. "Is this your room?"

"No," the apparition said. He sounded friendly enough, though Ryou had seen enough movies to know better than to let his guard down despite how exhilarating it was to know he really did manage to buy a haunted house.

"You do live here, right?" he asked the - presumably - spirit.

"I haunt here, if that's what you mean," the spirit said with a nod.

"You know that you're, um, you know-"

"Oh definitely," the spirit giggled.

Ryou felt his face start to warm. It was an honest-to-god giggle and it was too cute.

_ I need to get out more _ , he couldn't help but think to himself as a few more appraising thoughts about the spirit crossed his mind. "So!" Ryou said aloud, shifting his grip on the box he had yet to let go of. "Do you mind if I live here too?"

"Not at all," the spirit said with a shake of his head. The spikes of his hair swayed to and fro with the movement. He seemed so animated, nothing like the hazy glimpses in shows or stuttering glares of light in films. It made more sense the more Ryou thought about it, considering television and movies were fictional and all that, but the differences were still a point of interest to him.

"Thank you," Ryou said with a respectful bow. "I will try my best not to let unpacking intrude on you."

"It's been fun watching you unpack," the spirit said with a warm smile. "Since we're going to be roommates, you can call me Yugi. Would you like help unpacking?"

"Oh, no, that's alright, Yugi, I couldn't possibly ask-"

"No no, I insist," Yugi said. He took a step closer, looking up to keep eye contact with Ryou and Ryou couldn't help but notice the difference in height between them. He had to be a solid twenty centimeters taller than the spirit. It felt strange to be looking down to see someone's face instead of glancing up. It wasn't a bad strange, just strange. A refreshing strange, if he had to put a descriptor to it.

"Well, alright, if you insist," Ryou gave a thankful smile and nodded over to a box labelled 'MASTER BATH'. "In that box should be towels and the like. Could you hang two in the bathroom, and put the rest under the sink?"

"Aye aye, captain!" Yugi said with a silly little salute that Ryou was certain mocked some country or another's military. He watched as the ghost walked - actually walked, not floated - to the other side of the room and went through the box in question, before he remembered he held an empty box and brought it out to the hall. He returned to the bedroom to unpack more boxes.

The two worked away, unpacking the available boxes until they ran out in that room and its connected bathroom. Yugi looked over at Ryou with an eager, expectant look that, once Ryou noticed it, decided he found it incredibly endearing.

"What's next on the to-do list?" the ghost asked.

"The next room," Ryou said with an apologetic smile. He checked the time on his phone and frowned. "Actually, lunch. Do you eat?"

Yugi thought for a moment before he shrugged. "I haven't tried."

"You're welcome to try. I need to eat though."

"To the kitchen we go!" Yugi said and disappeared into a pool of shadows. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight entirely.

Ryou took the longer route to the kitchen, heading down the stairs, phone in hand. His skin was bristling with excitement as reality sunk in. A ghost. His house came with a ghost. On top of that, the ghost seemed more than friendly, though he wasn't about to let his guard completely down just yet. There was still the concerning mirror incident from that morning. Had that been Yugi who startled Marik, or another ghost? Did his house have multiple ghosts in it? If it did, he would have to be careful with cleansings. He hoped Yugi wasn't malevolent or anything like that. There didn't seem to be anything particularly dark or evil about Yugi, but he wouldn't know for sure until he cleansed the house.

Yugi's colorful hair could be seen from the kitchen entryway and Ryou wondered if it was natural or if Yugi just died with his hair dyed. It was probably too personal of a question to ask, but Ryou couldn't help but wonder just a little about the mechanics of post-death appearances. Did Yugi choose his appearance, or did he look like that while living, too? How long had Yugi been there? He certainly wore a lot of modern style clothing, so maybe he hadn't died very long ago? There hadn't been any records of death on the property though. Then again, that didn't really mean anything. Anything can happen off-the-books.

"Do you like yakisoba, Yugi?" Ryou asked as he opened the refrigerator. There was still a container of leftovers from his second night in the house and he wanted to eat it before it went bad.

"I don't really remember much from when I was alive, but I think so," Yugi told him. Ryou had to bite his own tongue to keep from asking questions about Yugi's living life after the ghost mentioned it so casually.

_ Do  _ not _ be weird about this, Ryou Bakura _ , Ryou mentally chastised himself. He put the container of leftover yakisoba in the microwave, trying to play it cool.

"You're welcome to try some if you'd like," Ryou said to Yugi as he turned away from the whirring microwave to face the ghost. He received an eager-looking nod in response to his offer.

The microwave dinged, Ryou mixed up the noodles and vegetables with a fork, and put the container back in the microwave for another nuking round. He licked the sauce off the fork and grimaced.

"Just as I thought. Not reheated enough," he muttered to himself.

"What does it taste like?" Yugi asked.

"You'll see in a few seconds," Ryou said. Sure enough, about half a minute later, Ryou held out a steaming container of reheated yakisoba and a fork for Yugi to try.

Yugi took the fork and twirled noodles around the prongs. He speared a piece of broccoli before taking the bite. The bite disappeared from view as soon as the fork entered his mouth and Ryou couldn't help the way he stared as Yugi ate.

"It's good," Yugi said as he handed Ryou back the fork.

"You can have more if you'd like."

"I don't need to."

"But if you want to."

"Alright, alright," Yugi surrendered with a huffed laugh. He took another bite before returning the fork to Ryou.

Ryou finished the container rather quickly, leaning against his kitchen counter as Yugi sat up on the counter beside him. Ryou rinsed out the container and the fork before putting them in the dishwasher. He didn't have enough in there to start a round yet, but hosting Marik and Amir helped fill the dishwasher plenty fast.

He should tell them about his otherworldly roommate. He looked up to meet Yugi's eyes across the kitchen. "Would you like to meet some friends of mine?" Ryou asked.

"They won't be frightened of me, will they?" Yugi asked. The ghost slunk back a little, towards the corner of the counter space.

"Marik might at first," Ryou admitted. "But Amir probably won't, so we'll videocall Amir first."

"Those are the two that spent the night, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know about that?" Ryou asked. "If you knew we were here, why didn't you appear sooner?"

A semi-opaque blush spread across Yugi's cheeks, as if the ghost were embarrassed. "Um, well, you see, I, I didn't want to scare any of you. I'm content by myself, but the company of roommates is nice even if I don't talk to any of them. But um, I overheard you say you'd be happy if the house was haunted, and, surprise," Yugi explained as he waved little jazz hands, a sheepish look across his face as he did so.

"Yugi," Ryou said, shaking his head as he smiled.  _ Too. Cute. _ "Come on, I'm sure they'll bug me all the time, so it'll be better to introduce everyone sooner instead of later."

Yugi hopped down from the counter and followed Ryou into the living room as Ryou typed away on his phone. The chime of an incoming videocall echoed through the room. Yugi didn't mind the cheerful tone, but he wanted to run the moment Ryou turned around and pointed the back camera at him.

"Say hello to my roommate!"

Yugi gave a half-hearted wave and if the heart he once had still beat, he knew it would be racing as he stood there, unable to see the reaction of the person on the other end of the call.

"That's so cool," a voice said from within the phone. Ryou gave him the thumbs-up sign above his phone.

"Amir thinks you're cool, Yugi," Ryou reported. He motioned for Yugi to come over as he turned his attention back to his phone. Yugi walked over and sat beside Ryou on the couch. A brown-skinned man with spiked hair looked back at him on the screen. He recognized the man from the previous night.

"Nice hair," Amir said as he nodded to presumably Yugi's spikes.

"Thanks, believe it or not but the color is natural," Yugi said and Ryou made a mental note for his theories about post-death appearances.

"Believe it or not, the spikes are natural," Amir replied, waving a hand to highlight his pointed mane of blonde hair.

"Really?" Ryou asked before Yugi had a chance to say anything himself. A wide, feral grin spread across Amir's face.

"Hey, Marik!" he called out. "Marik!" A long pause, presumably someone off-screen saying something the mic didn't pick up, and then Amir called out, "Bring me a glass of water!" Another pause followed, before, "Oh just do it!" His grin did not fade as the three waited for Marik to bring the requested glass of water.

"What the hell do you want this for?" Marik's voice came through as he stepped into range of the microphone on whatever device Amir took the call on. "Is that Ryou?" he asked as his head popped into view.

Ryou gave a little wave and Yugi mirrored it, though Yugi looked a tad wary of Marik.

"Who's that with-"

"New ghost roommate, don't worry about it," Amir said while he stood, glass in hand, pushing Marik out of view. "Now move. Ryou, Yugi, check this out!" Amir stood back enough that they could still see his hair, bend forward, and poured the water onto his head. The spikes of his hair caved forward as his hair took in the water, but, instead of falling flat against his face, the hair sprung back to its spiked state despite the heavy water.

"Woah," Ryou breathed out as Yugi just stared.

"Cool, right?" Amir asked. He shook out his hair and Marik's disapproval could be heard from off-screen.

"Absolutely cool," Ryou agreed, stating his awe verbally mostly just to annoy Marik.

"It looks like that made a bit of a mess though," Yugi said.

"Thank you!" Marik said and his head leaned back into view. "It did make a mess, that he better clean." He shot a glare to Amir, who slunk away to get a towel. "Who were you, again?"

"Yugi Mutou, Ryou's um, roommate."

"Roommate, or  _ roommate _ ," Marik said, giving Ryou a look.

"Roommate! Just roommate!" Ryou exclaimed with a wave of his hands, his face bright red. Marik's laughter echoed from the phone speakers and it only worsened the red of Ryou's cheeks.

"I'm only teasing," he said. "Yugi, good to meet you. What was that Amir said about a ghost though?"

Ryou and Yugi shared a look before Yugi addressed Marik. "That would be me."

"You're a ghost."

"Yeah."

"You're actually a ghost."

"Yeah."

"Damnit, Ryou, you promised you didn't seek out a haunted house."

"I didn't!" Ryou insisted. "This was just a pleasant coincidence, that's all!"

Yugi bit his lip. "Listen if I'm going to be a problem here-"

"No!" Ryou and Marik cut Yugi off in unison, their voices overlapping as they continued.

Marik waved his hands to shoo away any accusations. "It's just really funny that Ryou bought a haunted house-"

Ryou spoke over Marik with pleading eyes. "Yugi, I want you around-"

"Ryou's  _ obsessed _ with this type of stuff-"

"You're not frightening anyone-"

"He's been trying to contact ghosts since high school-"

"Hey!" Ryou glared at Marik, who immediately stopped talking. Ryou turned back to Yugi with wide, pleading eyes. "Please don't think I'm weird, I swear I'd want you around dead or alive."

"It's alright, it's rather flattering," Yugi said. He looked like he was ready to bolt though and Ryou feared his disclosed interest in the occult made the situation too awkward. "I'm not used to this much attention though. I've been alone for a very long time."

"If you're overwhelmed, you don't have to stay in the call," Ryou assured him. "You've met my friends. That's all I wanted."

"Thanks." The sheepish smile crossed Yugi's features again. He turned to address Marik, talking loud enough that Amir - who cleaned up the poured water in the background - looked up to acknowledge he was talking. "It was very nice to meet you two!"

"You as well, Yugi," Marik said. Amir waved from the background before he returned to his task. Yugi returned the wave before vanishing from sight. "Okay Ryou, be honest now."

"He's cute," Ryou admitted with a shy grin.

"He's adorable," Marik nodded his agreement.

"Who, Yugi?" Amir asked as he stepped forward, back into the foreground of the screen. To Marik's nod, he said, "Objectively speaking, yeah, but aren't the innocent ghosts always the most dangerous?"

"I don't think this is the case," Ryou shook his head. He bit his lip for a moment before continuing, "I think he may be hiding something, but he's dead. I'm sure there's a lot he doesn't want to talk about. I don't think he's malevolent or anything like that."

"You're the expert here," Amir shrugged. "And the one who lucked out in the attractive roommate department."

"Hey!" Marik's indignant squeak made Ryou have to cover a laugh with his hand.

"You're practically a brother to me, I can jab you over your looks!"

"Guys, guys, you're both cute," Ryou said with a laugh. "There, happy now?"

"Yes!" Marik said, sticking out his tongue to Amir. Amir just sat there, stunned for a moment, a dark blush creeping across his cheeks.

"Whatever, get out of my call, Marik," he said as he recomposed himself, pushing Marik out of frame again. Marik's laughter could be heard as he left the room.

"I meant it when I said I only called to introduce Yugi. If you had other plans today, I don't want to keep you," Ryou said.

"I'm free until this evening," Amir said. He leaned back in his chair. "So, how much do you have left to unpack?"

"Too much," Ryou groaned. A smirk flashed at him on the screen, but somehow it felt sympathetic.

He and Amir bantered back and forth for a few hours, mutually unaware of what went on around them. Ryou especially was lost in his conversation, paying no mind to the dual shadowed forms that glinted across the reflective television screen. The shadows arched as if they were on the inside of the glass instead of merely cast across it. One figure moved out of sight, but the other paused, opening its eyes to watch Ryou as he talked in the videocall. Golden eyes peered at him for just a moment before that shadow disappeared in pursuit of the first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exciting things going on at Ryou's place, eh?
> 
> Thank you, Jay, for betaing!  
> And thank YOU all lovelies for reading <3


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